Amalgam carriers for use by dentists



June 4, 1963 H. A. BAUGHAN 3,091,860

AMALGAM CARRIERS FOR USE BY DENTISTS Filed June 1, 1961 I INVENTORHERBERT A.BAUGHAN ATTORNEY 3,091,860 AMALGAM CARRIERS FOR USE BYDENTKSTS Herbert A. Baughan, 106 E. Main St., Avon Park, Fla. Filed June1, 1961, Ser. No. 114,179 6 Claims. (Cl. 32-60) This invention relatesto improvements in amalgam carriers for use by dentists.

An object of the invention is to provide an amalgam carrier which isconvenient and comfortable to hold and operate, reliable and efficientin operation, substantially frictionless and rugged and durable inconstruction.

A further object of the invention is to provide an amalgam carrier whosehead or plunger end is extremely slender and compact in design, withoutthe necessity for the bulky gooseneck construction found in many presentday instruments of this type.

A further object is to provide an amalgam carrier having an improvedoperating lever and coacting ball bearing means which renders the deviceextremely smooth in operation.

Still another object is to provide an instrument of the above-mentionedcharacter having an improved spring means associated with the operatinglever, and which spring means is stronger and more durable than in priorart devices of this general character.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an amalgam carrier according to theinvention and illustrating the proper manner for holding the same duringuse,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation partly in section ofthe amalgam carrier,

FIGURE 3 is a further view similar to FIGURE 2 and showing the parts ofthe device in different operative positions,

FIGURE 4 is a rear side elevation of a tubular mem her or sleeve whichreceives the plunger in assembly and showing means to facilitate theintroduction of a ball bearing into the sleeve during the assembly ofthe instrument.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral designates anelongated preferably cylindrical handle which may have the generalproportions of a lead pencil, and including a reduced tapering forwardportion 11, as shown. A substantially straight rigid shank 12 is fixedlyanchored in any suitable manner Within a longitudinal opening 13 in theforward end of the handle, and the shank 12 extends forwardly of thehandle 10 for an appreciable distance, as shown, and carries apreferably cylindrical plunger head 14, integral therewith, and arrangedat an obtuse angle thereto and projecting below the shank 12 for somedistance as shown in the drawings. The plunger head 14 may be providedat its top and slightly above the shank 12 with an inclined flatabutment face 15, serving as a positive stop to limit the downwardswinging movement of an operating lever to be described.

Surrounding the plunger head 14 and slidable thereon for axialreciprocation is a carrier sleeve or tube 16 which is substantiallycylindrical and has its lower end open as at 17. The top end of thecarrier sleeve 16 is closed by a spherically rounded end wall 18,adapted to serve as a retaining pocket for a ball bearing 19*.

The carrier sleeve 16 is provided in its rear side with an elongatedslot 26, FIGURE 4, extending from a point near and below the extreme topof the sleeve to a point somewhat below its longitudinal center and yetconsider- "ice ably above its lowermost end. The lower portion 21 of theslot 20 is preferably enlarged as shown, to facilitate the introductionof the ball bearing 19 into the carrier sleeve during the initialassembly of the instrument as will be further described. If preferred,the carrier sleeve 16 may be slightly flanged as at 22, adjacent thelower end of the slot 20 to add strength to the carrier sleeve and toprovide a durable abutment surface for the shank 12 during the operationof the instrument. The flange 22 may be omitted entirely if preferred.The carrier sleeve 16 has a relatively close but free sliding fi-t uponthe plunger head 14, and the latter is adapted to be completely housedWithin the carrier sleeve in one adjusted position of the latter, FIGURE2, and the carrier sleeve is considerably longer than the plunger headas shown in the drawings.

An improved operating lever 23 for the carrier sleeve 16 is providedupon the upper side of the handle 10 and near its forward end as wellillustrated in FIGURE 1. The lever 23 is pivoted at 24 intermediate itsends upon a pair of short upstanding lugs 25, formed integrally upon thehandle 10 and spaced apart laterally to receive the lever 23therebetween for vertical swinging movement. The lever 23 is slender andis disposed close to and generally parallel with the handle 10 for thesake of maximum compactness. At its rear end, the operating lever 23carries an integral cup-shaped finger rest 26 for convenient engagementby the index finger, FIGURE 1, while the instrument is held generally inthe manner of a pen or pencil during use.

The operating lever 23 has a forwardly extending slender pin extension27, rigid therewith, and lying close to and substantially parallel withthe shank 12 when the plunger head 14 is retracted into the carriersleeve as in FIGURE 2. The pin extension 27 is substantially straightand is preferably provided at its frontal portion and upon its top andbottom sides with fiat faces 28 and 29 for engagement respectively withthe ball bearing 19 and the flat abutment face 15. The pin extension 27extends movably through the upper portion of the slot 20 and throughanother short slot 30 formed in the forward side of the carrier sleeve16 near and below its upper end. When the lever 23 is rocked upon itspivot 24-, FIGURE 3, the pin extension 27 partakes of a sliding cammingaction against the ball bearing 19 to retract or lift the carrier sleeve16 toward the position shown in FIGURE 3. The pin extension 27 at thistime shifts or moves longitudinally through the slots 20 and 30', asshown. The carrier sleeve 16 cannot rotate upon the cylindrical-plungerhead 14 due to the presence of the shank 12 and pin extension 27 withinthe slots of the sleeve. The ball bearing 19 cannot escape from itssocket in the top of the carrier sleeve, after final assembly, due tothe arrangement of the elements 27 and 14 within the carrier sleeve.

In order to yieldably hold the operating lever 23 and the carrier sleeve'16 in their positions shown in FIG- URE 2, a sturdy torsional coilspring 31, preferably embodying several turns or coils, surrounds thepivot pin 24, within and under the lever 23. This coil spring has endextensions 32 and 33 which bear respectively against the under side ofthe lever 23 and the upper side of the handle 10, as shown. The handlemay be recessed slightly as at 34 to seat the spring extension 33. Thespring extension 32 will be seated between the side flanges of theoperating lever 23 which is concave in cross section.

During use, the dentist grasps the instrument in the manner shown anddescribed and with the operating lever 23 positioned as in FIGURE 2under influence of spring 31, the dentist loads the bottom open end ofthe carrier sleeve 16 with soft amalgam by jabbing the sleeve into theamalgam mass several times until the sleeve is filled. The spring 31 isheavy enough to resist upward pressure upon the sleeve 16 during thenormal loading operation.

After loading the instrument, the dentist carries the same adjacent tothe tooth cavity and expels the amalgam from the carrier sleeve 16 byplacing pressure with the index finger upon the cup-shaped rest 26 ofthe operating lever 23. When this is done, the lever 23 turns clockwiseupon its pivot 24 and the carrier sleeve is elevated or retractedrelative to the plunger head 14, FIGURE 3, and the plunger head expelsthe amalgam from the carrier sleeve. Upon release of the operating lever23, the spring 31 quickly returns the parts to their relative positionsshown in FIGURE 2, and the instrument is ready for reloading andcontinued use.

Provision of the ball bearing 19 at the top of the carrier sleeverenders the device substantially frictionless and very smooth inoperation and also very sturdy in construction. The design of theworking head end of the instrument is highly compact and slender tofacilitate working in cramped areas of the mouth.

In this connection, if preferred, the plunger head 14 and carrier sleeve16 may be set at an acute angle to the shank 12 and handle 10, ratherthan at an obtuse angle thereto as shown. That is to say, the axis ofthe handle may form an acute angle with the axis of the carrier sleeveand may also form an acute angle with and below a horizontal line withwhich the axis of the carrier sleeve forms a right angle. All otherparts and their operation would remain identical in the case where thecarrier sleeve and plunger head form an obtuse angle with the handle ofthe instrument.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scopeof the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An amalgam carrier and applicator comprising a handle, a plunger headsecured to the forward end of the handle and extending generallytranversely thereof and beyond one side of the same, a carrier sleeveslidably mounted upon the plunger head for reciprocation axiallythereof, said carrier sleeve having one open end and portions defining alongitudinal slot through its side wall to receive a part of saidhandle, other portions of said carrier sleeve defining an openingthrough the side wall of the carrier sleeve diametrically opposite saidlongitudinal slot, a concave top end wall for the carrier sleeve closingthe other end thereof and forming a spherical seat, a ball bearingelement disposed within said seat, an operating lever pivoted upon saidhandle for swinging movement relative thereto and having a slender pinextension engaging movably through said slot and opening of the carriersleeve and disposed between the ball bearing element and said plungerhead to cammingly engage the ball bearing element, and resilient meansinterconnecting said operating lever and handle to bias the handle in adirection to cause the open end of the carrier sleeve to be normallypositioned forwardly of the leading end of said plunger head.

2. An amalgam carrier and applicator comprising a handle having areduced shank portion, a plunger head secured to said reduced shankportion at the forward end thereof and extending generally transverselyof the shank portion, a carrier sleeve having one open end surroundingsaid plunger head and slidable thereon for axial reciprocation relativethereto, said carrier sleeve having portions defining a longitudinalslot through its side Wall to receive said shank portion and otherportions, a side wall opening diametrically opposite to said slot, meansdefining a ball bearing seat on the upper end of said carrier sleeveopposite said open end and above said plunger head, a ball bearingdisposed within said seat, an operating lever rockably mounted upon saidhandle and having a forward extension projecting between said ballbearing and plunger head to cammingly contact the ball bearing andextending through said slot and opening in said carrier sleeve, and aspring associated with the operating lever to bias the latter in adirection to maintain the open end of the carrier sleeve forwardly ofthe free end of said plunger head.

3. An amalgam carrier and applicator according to claim 2, and whereinsaid forward extension of the op, erating lever includes flat top andbottom faces, said plunger head having an inclined flat top end faceengageable with the flat bottom face of said extension, the flat topface of said extension contacting said ball bearing rollingly.

4. An amalgam carrier and applicator according to claim 2, and whereinsaid spring is a torsional coil spring engaging said handle andoperating lever, and a pivot element interconnecting the operating leverand handle pivotally and carrying said spring.

5. An amalgam carrier and applicator according to claim 2, and whereinsaid longitudinal slot in said carrier sleeve is enlarged at its lowerend to facilitate the introduction of said ball bearing through saidslot and into said sleeve prior to the assembling of the operating leverwith said handle.

6. An amalgam carrier and applicator comprising a handle having areduced forward shank, a cylindrical plunger head carried by the forwardend of said shank at an angle thereto generally transversely thereof, acarrier sleeve slidably mounted upon the plunger head and 7 having anopen end and an opposite closed end forming a ball bearing seat, a ballbearing disposed within said seat freely, the carrier sleeve havingportions thereof defining an elongated slot in its side wallintermediate its ends and other portions defining a short slot in itsside wall near its closed end and diametrically opposite the elongatedslot, a pivot element carried by said handle close to one side thereof,a longitudinal lever pivoted upon said pivot element and rockablethereon with respect to the handle, a torsion coil spring surroundingthe pivot element and having end extensions bearing on the handle andsaid lever and biasing the lever in one direction, and a slender pinextension on the forward end of the lever engageable through said slotsand movable therein and interposed between the ball bearing and one endof said plunger head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,398,527 Muspratt Nov. 29, 1921 2,251,206 Rutrough July 29, 19412,690,618 Freedman Oct. 5, 1954 2,705,368 Tascher Apr. 5, 1955

1. AN AMALGAM CARRIER AND APPLICATOR COMPRISING A HANDLE, A PLUNGER HEADSECURED TO THE FORWARD END OF THE HANDLE AND EXTENDING GENERALLYTRANSVERSELY THEREOF AND BEYOND ONE SIDE OF THE SAME, A CARRIER SLEEVESLIDABLY MOUNTED UPON THE PLUNGER HEAD FOR RECIPROCATION AXIALLYTHEREOF, SAID CARRIER SLEEVE HAVING ONE OPEN END AND PORTIONS DEFINING ALONGITUDINAL SLOT THROUGH ITS SIDE WALL TO RECEIVE A PART OF SAIDHANDLE, OTHER PORTIONS OF SAID CARRIER SLEEVE DEFINING AN OPENINGTHROUGH THE SIDE WALL OF THE CARRIER SLEEVE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE SAIDLONGITUDINAL SLOT, A CONCAVE TOP END WALL FOR THE CARRIER SLEEVE CLOSINGTHE OTHER END THEREOF AND FORMING A SPHERICAL SEAT, A BALL BEARINGELEMENT DISPOSED WITHIN SAID SEAT, AN OPERATING LEVER PIVOTED UPON SAIDHANDLE FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT RELATIVE THERETO AND HAVING A SLENDER PINEXTENSION ENGAGING MOVABLY THROUGH SAID SLOT AND OPENING OF THE CARRIERSLEEVE AND DISPOSED BETWEEN THE BALL BEARING ELEMENT AND SAID PLUNGERHEAD TO CAMMINGLY ENGAGE THE BALL BEARING ELEMENT, AND RESILIENT MEANSINTERCONNECTING SAID OPERATING LEVER AND HANDLE TO BIAS THE HANDLE IN ADIRECTION TO CAUSE THE OPEN END OF THE CARRIER SLEEVE TO BE NORMALLYPOSITIONED FORWARDLY OF THE LEADING END OF SAID PLUNGER HEAD.